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thenovelmaura's review against another edition
adventurous
inspiring
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
Thank you to PenguinTeen for giving me an eARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.
I tend to start out every anthology review by saying that it's hard to rate anthologies! I really love the concept of this one and the fact that it was created to give Black kids and teens with nerdy or geeky interests a sense of community and literary role models. Some of my favorite YA authors are represented here, too! That being said, here's a list of my favorite stories in this anthology and what they're about:
I tend to start out every anthology review by saying that it's hard to rate anthologies! I really love the concept of this one and the fact that it was created to give Black kids and teens with nerdy or geeky interests a sense of community and literary role models. Some of my favorite YA authors are represented here, too! That being said, here's a list of my favorite stories in this anthology and what they're about:
- Nina Evans, in the Round by Kalynn Bayron - A musical theater lover fights against type-casting discrimination from her school's play director.
- Initiative Check by K. Arsenault Rivera - Can a magical DnD session heal the wounds of an old friendship?
- Corner Booth by Leah Johnson - A short and sweet story about two Dictionary Dynamo app rivals who fall for each other in a diner.
- Betty's Best Craft by Elise Bryant - Can a craft-based school assignment heal the wounds of an old friendship? Yes, this one has a very similar plot to "Initiative Check," but they were both fun in their own unique ways!
- Cole's Cruise Blues by Isaac Fitzsimons - A trans boy tries to figure out who he wants to be while flirting with a boy he meets on a cruise ship and bonding with his cute younger stepsister.
- Catalyst Rising by Tracy Deonn - A girl discovers that she's the Philosopher's Stone in this short story that left me wanting more! Seriously, this felt like the first chapter of a novel; someone please tell me that Deonn is writing a longer version of this?
- Requiem of Souls by Terry J. Benton-Walker - A chilling story about a flutist who discovers he can summon ghosts with a song.
- Wolf Tracks by Roseanne A. Brown - A heartwarming story about a werewolf who falls for his best friend and how this changes his relationship with his father.
There are 18 stories in this collection and I've only described 8 of them, so hopefully that gives you an idea of the variety of genres, topics, and kinds of geekiness that are present here. If you're a fan of any of the authors featured, I think this anthology is worth a read.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Racism and Sexism
Moderate: Domestic abuse and Gore
Minor: Homophobia
booknerderika's review against another edition
3.75
Our Joy, Our Power - ⭐️⭐️⭐️
The Book Club - ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Nina Evans, in the Round - ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Earth is Ghetto - ⭐️⭐️⭐️
Initiative Check - ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Corner Booth - ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Betty's Best Craft - ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
The Panel Shows the Girl - ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Spirit-Filled - ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Cole's Cruise Blues - ⭐️⭐️
High Strangeness - ⭐️⭐️
Catalyst Rising - ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Requiem of Souls - ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Honor Code - ⭐️⭐️
Drive Time - ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Wolf Tracks - ⭐️⭐️⭐️
The Hero's Journey - ⭐️⭐️
Abyss - ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
This anthology soothed my nerdy heart.
The Book Club - ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Nina Evans, in the Round - ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Earth is Ghetto - ⭐️⭐️⭐️
Initiative Check - ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Corner Booth - ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Betty's Best Craft - ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
The Panel Shows the Girl - ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Spirit-Filled - ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Cole's Cruise Blues - ⭐️⭐️
High Strangeness - ⭐️⭐️
Catalyst Rising - ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Requiem of Souls - ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Honor Code - ⭐️⭐️
Drive Time - ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Wolf Tracks - ⭐️⭐️⭐️
The Hero's Journey - ⭐️⭐️
Abyss - ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
This anthology soothed my nerdy heart.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death of parent, Gore, Murder, Religious bigotry, Violence, Deadnaming, Cursing, Homophobia, Domestic abuse, Grief, Racism, Bullying, Abandonment, Emotional abuse, and Mental illness
emily_mh's review against another edition
4.25
This was a solid anthology! My favourites were Initiative Check and Wolf Tracks, but Requiem of Souls, Honor Code and Nina in the Round were close runner-ups!
Our Joy, Our Power by Julian Winters: a great start to the anthology as it perfectly encapsulates its theme, which is Black people taking up the space they are owed in nerdy, fantastical spaces. This is done in the context of a ComicCon-style event, with the MC reflecting on his experience with racism at it, and also having a convo with another Black boy about what the future should look like. I also liked the little twist! It brought an element of fairytale happiness.
The Book Club by Shari B. Pennant: I think this would have worked better with lower stakes, but I loved the concept of finding magical community in a bookstore, and also the MC’s drive to understand why she was given magic.
Nina in the Round by Kalynn Bayron: this was fantastic! It explored so many things in such a short time, but not in a rushed way. It showed how white people respond to Black success with racist violence and the advancement of white mediocrity to try to undermine it. It showed how Black parents try to protect their children from going through the racist things they have experienced, but how sometimes this doesn’t work out. It showed the importance of representation, and the hypocrisy of the theatre for believing itself to be welcoming of everybody but then also upholding racism. I loved seeing the MC’s passion for singing and the joy it brought her, and loved the ending.
Earth is Ghetto by Ibi Zoboi: this was very thought-provoking. I liked its exploration of the human condition, namely that imperfection is an unavoidable part of the human experience. It doesn’t count oppressive systems as imperfections, of course - these ARE avoidable, and the MC is working to dismantle them. But the MC also realises the folly in trying to create a perfect human world without “mistakes”; it wouldn’t be a human world without them.
Initiative Check by K. Arsenault Rivera: I really enjoyed this one!!! I’m a sucker for a Jumanji-style concept, so add in a queer second-chance romance and I’m sold. I’m actually desperate for this to be turned into a full-length book!
Corner Booth by Leah Johnson: this was cute, essentially about wordy nerds in love. I love that the MCs got to find solace in each other and in the diner at night (this setting was particularly calming to read about). It made their connection really believable.
Betty’s Best Craft by Elise Bryant: this was so sweet. I really loved how MC and LI realised that they both had been responsible for the loss of their friendship, and that in building it back up again they got to experience new things. I do wish we had more of Betty’s crafting described to us though.
The Panel Shows the Girl by Amanda Joy: the magic in this one kind of comes out of nowhere and we also never find out why it exists. I also thought that the friendship problem was somewhat randomly resolved without any communication. But I did like the concept of drawings coming to life!
Spirit-Filled by Jordan Ifueko: this was a compelling short story. I enjoyed how the plotline of the MC trying to get her book back was woven in with her interactions within the church community. I also think Ifueko’s writing style is stunning. In terms of fitting in with the anthology’s theme, I don’t think it was quite there.
Cole’s Cruise Blues by Isaac Fitzsimons: this was a super cute and heartwarming story. I really enjoyed the sibling relationship and also Cole coming to terms with himself. I do wish magic had been included from the start as a hobby of Cole’s as it would have fitted the theme of the anthology better.
High Strangeness by Desiree S. Evans: I felt like the romance in this story took away from the nerdy plot line, i.e. I wish more time had been spent on finding aliens than developing the romantic relationship.
Catalyst Rising by Tracy Deonn: I liked the premise of this one, especially because our MC, who is extremely science-oriented, has to grapple with knowing her worldview isn’t wholly accurate. I also appreciated that there wasn’t any romance. But the pacing was kind of weird, and then it just ends on a random sentence. I also didn’t like the vaguely anti-therapy sentiments. I don’t think this was bad, but I do think the execution could have been better.
Requiem of Souls by Terry J. Benton-Walker: this was phenomenal! A powerful story with immaculate pacing. Music magic will always get me. I don’t, however, think the epilogue was needed.
Honour Code by Kwame Mbalia: this was super character driven, which I really enjoyed. I liked how the MC could find solace, comfort, and community in LARPing, and how he was trying to figure out how to take care of himself.
Drive Time by Lamar Giles: this was fun and pacey, and a really refreshing change in genre - without straying too far from the anthology’s theme. I like stories that have bizarre, humorous plot points and this was one!
Wolf Tracks by Roseanne A. Brown: This was genuinely perfect up until the last little bit!! I loved the con, I loved the friends-to-lovers forced proximity, I loved how the MC and his dad were learning emotional intimacy!! Unfortunately the friends-to-lovers becoming reality at the ending was lacklustre; it kind of just happened without any fanfare. But I still really liked this story overall. And it has my favourite quote from the whole anthology: “…it actually isn’t enough for me that his acceptance looks like silence.”
The Hero’s Journey by Tochi Onyebuchi: this was super meta which I loved. I could see it working really well as a graphic novel. I do wish the themes of the auntie story had been connected to the earlier failed stories a little more as it felt a little disjointed.
Abyss by Amerie: the dark academia vibes of this story were immaculate. I also found the MC really interesting in her motivations and desires. The magic was a bit baffling but that could well be a me problem due to brain fog!!
Our Joy, Our Power by Julian Winters: a great start to the anthology as it perfectly encapsulates its theme, which is Black people taking up the space they are owed in nerdy, fantastical spaces. This is done in the context of a ComicCon-style event, with the MC reflecting on his experience with racism at it, and also having a convo with another Black boy about what the future should look like. I also liked the little twist! It brought an element of fairytale happiness.
The Book Club by Shari B. Pennant: I think this would have worked better with lower stakes, but I loved the concept of finding magical community in a bookstore, and also the MC’s drive to understand why she was given magic.
Nina in the Round by Kalynn Bayron: this was fantastic! It explored so many things in such a short time, but not in a rushed way. It showed how white people respond to Black success with racist violence and the advancement of white mediocrity to try to undermine it. It showed how Black parents try to protect their children from going through the racist things they have experienced, but how sometimes this doesn’t work out. It showed the importance of representation, and the hypocrisy of the theatre for believing itself to be welcoming of everybody but then also upholding racism. I loved seeing the MC’s passion for singing and the joy it brought her, and loved the ending.
Earth is Ghetto by Ibi Zoboi: this was very thought-provoking. I liked its exploration of the human condition, namely that imperfection is an unavoidable part of the human experience. It doesn’t count oppressive systems as imperfections, of course - these ARE avoidable, and the MC is working to dismantle them. But the MC also realises the folly in trying to create a perfect human world without “mistakes”; it wouldn’t be a human world without them.
Initiative Check by K. Arsenault Rivera: I really enjoyed this one!!! I’m a sucker for a Jumanji-style concept, so add in a queer second-chance romance and I’m sold. I’m actually desperate for this to be turned into a full-length book!
Corner Booth by Leah Johnson: this was cute, essentially about wordy nerds in love. I love that the MCs got to find solace in each other and in the diner at night (this setting was particularly calming to read about). It made their connection really believable.
Betty’s Best Craft by Elise Bryant: this was so sweet. I really loved how MC and LI realised that they both had been responsible for the loss of their friendship, and that in building it back up again they got to experience new things. I do wish we had more of Betty’s crafting described to us though.
The Panel Shows the Girl by Amanda Joy: the magic in this one kind of comes out of nowhere and we also never find out why it exists. I also thought that the friendship problem was somewhat randomly resolved without any communication. But I did like the concept of drawings coming to life!
Spirit-Filled by Jordan Ifueko: this was a compelling short story. I enjoyed how the plotline of the MC trying to get her book back was woven in with her interactions within the church community. I also think Ifueko’s writing style is stunning. In terms of fitting in with the anthology’s theme, I don’t think it was quite there.
Cole’s Cruise Blues by Isaac Fitzsimons: this was a super cute and heartwarming story. I really enjoyed the sibling relationship and also Cole coming to terms with himself. I do wish magic had been included from the start as a hobby of Cole’s as it would have fitted the theme of the anthology better.
High Strangeness by Desiree S. Evans: I felt like the romance in this story took away from the nerdy plot line, i.e. I wish more time had been spent on finding aliens than developing the romantic relationship.
Catalyst Rising by Tracy Deonn: I liked the premise of this one, especially because our MC, who is extremely science-oriented, has to grapple with knowing her worldview isn’t wholly accurate. I also appreciated that there wasn’t any romance. But the pacing was kind of weird, and then it just ends on a random sentence. I also didn’t like the vaguely anti-therapy sentiments. I don’t think this was bad, but I do think the execution could have been better.
Requiem of Souls by Terry J. Benton-Walker: this was phenomenal! A powerful story with immaculate pacing. Music magic will always get me. I don’t, however, think the epilogue was needed.
Honour Code by Kwame Mbalia: this was super character driven, which I really enjoyed. I liked how the MC could find solace, comfort, and community in LARPing, and how he was trying to figure out how to take care of himself.
Drive Time by Lamar Giles: this was fun and pacey, and a really refreshing change in genre - without straying too far from the anthology’s theme. I like stories that have bizarre, humorous plot points and this was one!
Wolf Tracks by Roseanne A. Brown: This was genuinely perfect up until the last little bit!! I loved the con, I loved the friends-to-lovers forced proximity, I loved how the MC and his dad were learning emotional intimacy!! Unfortunately the friends-to-lovers becoming reality at the ending was lacklustre; it kind of just happened without any fanfare. But I still really liked this story overall. And it has my favourite quote from the whole anthology: “…it actually isn’t enough for me that his acceptance looks like silence.”
The Hero’s Journey by Tochi Onyebuchi: this was super meta which I loved. I could see it working really well as a graphic novel. I do wish the themes of the auntie story had been connected to the earlier failed stories a little more as it felt a little disjointed.
Abyss by Amerie: the dark academia vibes of this story were immaculate. I also found the MC really interesting in her motivations and desires. The magic was a bit baffling but that could well be a me problem due to brain fog!!
Content Warnings
Moderate: Violence, Gore, Racism, Child abuse, Cursing, Domestic abuse, Physical abuse, and Murder
Minor: Child death, Homophobia, War, Ableism, Fire/Fire injury, Death, Colonisation, Death of parent, Xenophobia, Gun violence, Mental illness, Abandonment, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Toxic friendship, Misogyny, Sexism, Bullying, Infidelity, Deadnaming, Religious bigotry, Grief, Racial slurs, Vomit, Alcohol, Medical content, Police brutality, and Self harm
Minor: earthquake, famine, drought, eugenics, foster care, imprisonment, separation from family, bomb, internalised racism, climate change, internalised misogyny, missing loved one, insects, one use of the homophobic f-slur, conversion therapy, disownment, self-injury NB: the racial slurs content warning above is in reference to implied use of the racist n-slur.
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